Grammar · Verb Patterns: -ing & Infinitives
Verbs + -ing (Enjoy, Finish, Mind)
Eep enjoys exploring. Grug avoids leaving the cave. Verbs that always take -ing, with the film The Croods.
Grammar › Verb Patterns: -ing & Infinitives › Verbs + -ing (Enjoy, Finish, Mind)
The rule in one sentenceAfter verbs like enjoy, finish, mind, avoid and suggest, the next verb always ends in -ing (Eep enjoys exploring), never to + verb. Other verbs, like want and decide, take to + verb instead (Guy wants to find the sun).
About the film
The Croods is a film from 2013 about a family from a very early time in human history. Grug is the father. He has one rule: never leave the cave, because new things are dangerous. His daughter Eep does not agree. She enjoys exploring, and she hates sitting in the dark. One night she meets Guy, a smart boy who can make fire. Then the ground starts shaking, the cave is destroyed, and the whole family must travel across a strange new world to find a safe home.
What does it do?
Sometimes one verb comes right after another verb: I enjoy watching films. In English, the first verb decides the shape of the second verb. There is no reason for it. You just learn which group each verb is in.
One big group always takes -ing: enjoy, finish, mind, avoid, suggest, keep. Another group takes to + verb: want, decide, hope, need.
A good way to remember it: the -ing verb works like a noun. Eep enjoys exploring is like Eep enjoys the sun. “Exploring” is the thing she enjoys. You would never say Eep enjoys to the sun, so you never say enjoys to explore either.
The -ing form has a few spelling changes. Watch the end of the verb:
Eep enjoys climbing the rocks. Eep wants to climb the rocks.
Same girl, same rocks. The first verb decides the shape of the second verb, not the meaning of the sentence.
Visual guide
Teacher Teddy’s illustrated guide to this rule is being drawn — the full swipe-through infographic will appear here soon.
How to make it
Verb + -ing — enjoy, finish, mind
Eep enjoys exploring the world outside.
Grug doesn’t enjoy trying new things.
don’t / doesn’t + enjoy + verb-ingDo you mind sharing the fire?
Do / Does + subject + mind + verb-ingVerb + to + verb — want, decide, hope
Guy wants to reach the mountain.
Grug doesn’t want to follow him.
don’t / doesn’t + want + to + verbDid the family decide to leave the cave?
Did + subject + decide + to + verbThe tense of the first verb can change, but the -ing form stays the same: she enjoyed exploring, she has enjoyed exploring, she will enjoy exploring.
When to use each one
Verb + -ing
Verb + to + verb
Words that help: -ing or to?
Learn these verbs as two groups. The first verb tells you what comes next.
Verb + -ing
Verb + to + verb
Common mistakes
❌ Eep enjoys to explore the world.
✅ Eep enjoys exploring the world.
“Enjoy” always takes -ing, never “to”.
❌ Have you finished to eat?
✅ Have you finished eating?
“Finish” takes -ing in every tense.
❌ Would you mind to share the fire?
✅ Would you mind sharing the fire?
“Would you mind” is always followed by -ing.
❌ Grug wants staying in the cave.
✅ Grug wants to stay in the cave.
“Want” is in the other group. It takes “to” + verb.
One more thing
This part is a little harder. You can come back to it later.
After a preposition, the verb is always -ing.
✅ Eep is interested in exploring.
✅ Grug is afraid of leaving the cave.
✅ The family is looking forward to seeing the sun.
Careful with the last one: here “to” is a preposition, so the verb after it still ends in -ing.
Practice: -ing or to?
Eight questions. Choose one answer. You get the answer, and why.
1. Eep enjoys ___ outside the cave.
“Enjoy” → -ing.
2. Has Thunk finished ___ the egg?
“Finish” → -ing.
3. Guy wants ___ the mountain before dark.
“Want” → to + verb.
4. Would you mind ___ the fire with us?
“Would you mind” → -ing.
5. Grug avoids ___ anything new.
“Avoid” → -ing.
6. The family decided ___ the cave.
“Decide” → to + verb.
7. Guy suggested ___ at night, when it is not so hot.
“Suggest” → -ing.
8. Eep is looking forward to ___ the sun again.
After the preposition “to” in “looking forward to” → -ing.
Your turn
Choose one ending. Then listen to your sentence.
Every sentence here is correct. Pick the one that is true for you. Say it out loud too!
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